The Associate Press

CLAYTON, Mo. -- The St. Louis Rams' defense end Leonard Little was found innocent of drunken driving Friday by a St. Louis County Circuit jury.

Jurors ruled that Little, 30, was speeding at the time of his arrest April 24 on Interstate 64 in the St. Louis suburb Ladue. He will be sentenced on that charge May 6.

"We're absolutely thrilled," said Little's lawyer Scott Rosenblum. "Couldn't be happier." He said he believed the jury had reached the right decision.

Attempts to reach prosecutor Mark Bishop for comment by phone were not successful Friday night.

Little will not be considered a persistent offender, which had been a possibility under the charges because he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in a 1998 drunken-driving accident in downtown St. Louis that killed Susan Gutweiler of St. Louis County.

Little served three months in jail, completed 1,000 hours of community service and four years of probation for the earlier crime. He was also suspended without pay for the first half of the 1999 season.

The prosecution argued in this case that Little failed several field sobriety tests when stopped for speeding and refused to be chemically tested for alcohol when taken into custody.

Rosenblum countered that his client should be cleared, arguing in part that the officer at the scene failed to give Little the proper instructions.

Rosenblum said during the trial that Little had only had two beers and was not intoxicated when stopped by police, who reportedly found Little driving 78 mph in a 55-mph zone.

Little had 46 tackles, 6.5 sacks and recovered four fumbles last season. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2003.